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Meandering around Margaret River

Before going back to Australia to get married, we pondered where to go for our honeymoon. Asia? It was nearby and on the route back to London. Eastern Australia? The cocktail bars in Melbourne and Sydney beckoned.

Eventually we decided on Margaret River in our home state of Western Australia. Although we’d been there countless times, we decided to leave the backpack behind and upgrade our accommodation. It was our honeymoon after all.

Margaret River is a well-known wine region in Australia. If this isn’t a good enough reason to want to visit, it sports some of the best beaches in the country and is surrounded by jarrah forests that are thousands of years old.

A perfect setting for a romantic getaway.

We stayed at Hilltop Studios, a secluded apartment on the top of a hill overlooking the bush. In the evenings we watched the kangaroos hop about and at night we could see the stars from our bed through the near floor-to-ceiling windows.

Hilltop Studios in its scenic location

Things to do in Margaret River

Visit the caves

There are many caves in the region, but we decided to visit the Jewel Cave because it’s the biggest that’s open to the public. Its stalactites have been forming for hundreds of thousands of years and your tour guide will take you 42 metres underground to look at the formations.

The caves in the region have been forming for hundreds of thousands of years

Body surf a wave at the beach

The beaches are stunning. When we visited, the surrounding area had been devastated by a fire only a few months before. No one lost their life but many homes were destroyed. Even so, the natural beauty shone through.

Enjoying the beautiful beach

Go for a bushwalk

It’s not hard to believe the region is prone to bush fires – it’s covered in trees. You can easily get lost in the bush although there’s something deeply tranquil about trekking amongst trees as tall as skyscrapers.

Trekking around the bush – keeping an eye out for snakes!

Dine in a top restaurant

There are so many restaurants in the area that serve award-winning cuisine that it’s tough to choose where to go. We decided on Lamonts and Vasse Felix. Both were superb and in stunning settings – Lamonts adjacent to the beach and Vasse Felix overlooking a stream and the winery. However, I have to say that Vasse Felix’s food was better than its wine and vice-versa for Lamonts.

Delicious scallops at Vasse Felix

Visit a winery

Of course, many of these restaurants are better known for being a winery first and a place to dine second. There is a lot of good tipple grown in the region, although Brown Hill has to be my favourite – even if the cellar door is the back of his shed!